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Wood-Fired Black Bean Enchiladas

I won’t lie – the ingredient list on this one is going to look intimidating. If you can’t handle it, just buy canned enchilada sauce. But I’m telling you, making your sauce from scratch is worth the effort. And once you’re hooked, you can start tweaking the recipe to make it your own by playing around with the types and ratios of dried chiles you use.

Two quick notes about peppers to help avoid confusion: First, peppers and chiles refer to the same thing, and I’m using the words interchangeably in this recipe. Second, many chiles are given different names when they are dried and/or smoked. For example, poblano peppers, the kind used to make chiles rellenos, are called ancho chiles when they are dried. So when a recipe calls for an ancho (or a pasilla, guajillo, etc.) it is calling for a dried pepper. There is no such thing as a fresh ancho chile.

To make the enchilada sauce, first roast the onion and 3 cloves of the garlic in your wood oven until soft and charred in spots, about 10-15 minutes depending on your temperature. Place the chiles in a dry skillet and quickly toast in your oven, turning once, until puffed and fragrant. This will only take about 20 seconds. Remove the stems and seeds from the chiles and discard. Place the chiles in a small sauce pan with 1 cup of the water. Cook over medium heat until the chiles are soft and the water is gone from the pan. Transfer the chiles to the carafe of a blender and add the roasted onion and garlic, the 1 clove of raw garlic, the tomato puree, adobo sauce, vinegar, spices, honey and remaining water. Blend until smooth. Then, with the blender still running, add the vegetable oil in a steady stream until fully emulsified into the sauce. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Set aside.

For the filling, first place the bell peppers and tomatoes in a dry skillet and roast in your oven until charred and soft, about 5 minutes for the tomatoes and 20 minutes for the peppers. Peel the peppers and chop. Set aside.

To prepare the chayote, first remove the skin using a peeler. Next, remove the flesh. Chayote have a large oblong seed in the middle, similar to a mango. Cut the flesh away and discard the seed. Chop the chayote into bite-sized pieces. Preheat the 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil in a large sauté pan in your oven. When hot, add the chayote and roast, stirring frequently, until tender, about 4 minutes. Set aside and allow to cool.

To make the filling, stir together the roasted tomatoes, roasted peppers and chayote with the remaining ingredients. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Next, get the salsa verde going: Place all of the ingredients except the cilantro and lime juice in a dry skillet and roast in your wood oven until charred and soft, about 15 minutes. Set aside.

Meanwhile, assemble the enchiladas. Heat a dry skillet on your stove over medium-low heat. Use this to warm each tortilla for a few seconds on both sides to make them pliable and avoid breakage as you build. Spread a thin layer of your enchilada sauce over the bottom of an ovenproof 9x13 baking dish. Next, smear a line of softened cream cheese down the middle of your warmed tortilla. Add about 1/4-1/3 cup of filling, roll up, and place seam side down in your baking dish. Spoon sauce over the tortilla to coat. Repeat with all the tortillas. They should fit pretty well nestled together in a 9x13 dish. Top with the remaining enchilada sauce, filling in all the nooks and crannies. Sprinkle the remaining Chihuahua cheese over the top, cover with foil, and place on a rack in your wood oven to bake. Cook until bubbling and hot in the middle, about 40-50 minutes depending on the heat of your oven. Remove the foil for the last 5 minutes of cooking time to allow the cheese to brown on top. Allow to cool for at least 10 minutes before serving.

While the enchiladas are baking, finish the salsa verde. Remove the stems and seeds from the serrano and jalepeno. Place the peppers in the carafe of a blender along with the tomatillo, onion, garlic cilantro and lime juice. Process until smooth and season with salt and pepper to taste.

To serve, spoon a pool of salsa verde onto each plate. Place a portion of enchilada on top. Sprinkle with queso fresco and serve with a dollop of sour cream. Crack open a fresh Dos Equis or top off that margarita (you’ve been drinking this whole time, right? It helps the prep go by like a breeze…) and enjoy your Mexican feast.